From Mine to Store: Kathaline Page-Guth’s Magic Dragon

January 4, 2016byEmili Vesilind

Pure, unadulterated greed has never looked as alluring as in this pendant from Florence, Italy–based designer Kathaline Page-Guth. The glittering jewel—which can also be worn as a brooch—depicts a mischievous dragon clutching a gemstone, a victorious grin flashing across his tiny face. Page-Guth, a former art director and fashion/textile designer, was inspired by a “half-nasty and half-magical” 18th-century print of a stingy dragon clutching his treasures. The piece’s functionality sprung from a desire to wear a brooch that doesn’t scream mumsy. “We all have our grandmother’s brooches, and we never wear them,” she says. “So I said, ‘I’ll make myself a funny brooch!’ The dragon is like a dog with his bone—very, very naughty.”

Pretty Baby

This mythical reptile was forged from 18k yellow gold, and set with a 7.3 ct. pink tourmaline cabochon (found at JCK Las Vegas last June), 2.67 cts. t.w. sapphires, 0.6 ct. t.w. pavé tsavorites, 0.15 ct. t.w. diamonds, and a briolette-cut chrysoprase that weighs approximately 2 cts. At press time it was for sale for $8,850 on kathalinepageguth.com.

Feminine Eye

Page-Guth, who opened her atelier in March, says she hopes to bring female-centric aesthetics to her collection. “I very much believe in women’s taste—not the imposed-on taste of a man,” she says. “A lot of jewelry is made from a man’s perspective…a lot of pieces want to show off. I design and want to design for grown-up women.”

Winning Grin

The biggest challenge in creating the brooch, says the designer, was “making him look sweet. It was important to get him to smile and give him lots of character. It was a lot of, ‘Can you make his face look more like this?’?” The brooch is part of Page-Guth’s Romance collection, which is filled with fairy-tale–esque creatures. Next up: “I have a black pug. Sooner or later I will have to make that pug!”